August 2013 Magazine

Exclusive Online Content

Sex, Lies, and Butterflies: an evolutionary tale of research

In a quest to learn more about the Eastern Tailed butterfly's ability to escape predators via its "false head" and stiff hindwings, an interdisciplinary team of USI professors and students from biology and engineering departments collaborated.

Watch a short video in which researchers and students discuss this potentially ground-breaking research, and see what inspired it. The first video shows a butterfly moving the thread-like antennae on its hindwings, and the second allows you to witness a butterfly moving its hindwings and head simultaneously, as a means of deceiving predators.

Oral History Project: documentaries create connections

USI’s College of Nursing and Health Professions students are documenting the stories of area care-facility residents as part of a project that encourages students not only to interact with elders, but also to recognize and confront any negative perceptions they might have of older populations.

There was a time when friends and family of USI students who went abroad had to wait for them to return before hearing about all the exciting experiences they encountered. But with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, blogs, and Skype, waiting is a thing of the past.

A rare and exotic plant is thriving in the greenhouse at the top of Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education. It hasn’t begun to emit its famous, fragrant corpse smell yet due to its elaborate and complicated life cycle, but when it does we’ll let you know. In the meantime, you can see what USI’s Titan Arum—now just a baby—will grow up to be in these historical photos of the species from around the world, plus a slideshow of its progress to date.

New Campus Store

The USI Campus Store unveiled its sleek new look recently, complete a technology center selling Apple products, a clothing section that carries brands such as Nike, Adidas, Hurley, and Columbia, and gifts galore. The bookstore didn’t always look so high tech. Check out this slide show and see its progression over the years.